Explanation:
Inbound from the distant solar system,
comet C/2001 Q4
will soon pass just inside planet Earth's orbit
and should be one of twobright,
naked-eye comets
visible insouthern skies
in May.
First picked up nearly three years ago by the
Near Earth Asteroid Tracking
(NEAT) project
Q4 appears in both of these stunning telescopic views
recorded only a few days ago,
on April 18th (left) and 19th, from a site near Alcohuaz, Chile.
Remarkable changes in the structure of the long, graceful tail
can be seen by comparing the two photos, including the
dramatic kink
seen near the tail's midpoint on April 19th.
The apparent motion of the comet sweeping
across
the sky is evident when you compare the position of the tail
relative to background galaxy NGC 1313, visible as a smudge
near the top of each image.
Q4's closest approach to the Sun will be on May 15th while its
closest encounter with planet Earth will be on May 7th
(see animation by
L. Koehn).